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The Winkleigh Society Quarterly Journal
Record of Work – Townsend Hill Development
Images courtesy of ‘Stone’ Naylor
2
Winkleigh
Winkleigh Society
Society Chair’s
- Chair’s Report
Report - Feb- 2022
NEXT EVENT: PLATINUM JUBILEE CELEBRATIONS: SCARECROW TRAIL.
As our contribution to the village Jubilee celebrations The Winkleigh Society will be
promoting and funding this event. Watch out for more details. The Theme will be a
Fashion parade 1952-2022. Pick your decade and style and glam up your scarecrow!
Or collect a Trail Map, walk the trail and vote for your favourites. Money prizes will
be awarded at the village Jubilee tea.
OTHER NEWS: Our ‘Opening Up the Archive’ day last December was timed to
coincide with The Village Hall Saturday market and was well attended.
Sorting and cataloguing of the Archive stored in the Community Centre is a work in
progress, but the display of maps, official records, documents and artefacts gave
visitors plenty to browse through. Guest archivists also set up their stalls and
displayed their personal collections: Wendy Oxborough [Hollocombe], Joyce Brock
[Winkleigh Fair], Shirley and Steven Leahy [Airfield], Andrew Ware [photographs],
Sharon Jeens [Hedges survey].
Just to keep us on our toes Benjamin Roth read out in Olde English the extract about
Winkleigh from our copy of the Domesday Book. Thanks to Barbara Jenkins and
Rachel Goldsworthy for coordinating it all.
WINKLEIGH SOCIETY AGM: Friday 11th MARCH 7 pm in the Community Centre.
Special guests: DW posties & proof readers - all vital cogs in our production wheel.
Complimentary bread, cheese, pickles and mulled cider - ALL WELCOME. Guest
Speaker: Colin Smallacombe from Farming Community Network
Penny Griffiths - Chair: The Winkleigh Society
3
4
Coming out of Covid - Community First Responder
I’m sure that we are all hoping for an easier year in 2022, seeing us out and about a
bit more, spending time with loved ones and friends.
Unfortunately sometimes we get unwell; if seriously this may mean calling on the
emergency services for help: in particular South West Ambulance Service. As well as
the wonderful teams of Paramedics and Emergency Care Assistants there are a
number of Community First Responders (CFRs). This voluntary role provides an
essential rapid response for the patient whilst supporting the ambulance service.
Winkleigh’s current CFR has been serving our village and surrounding areas for four
and a half years. During the worst of Covid the service had to be stood down due
serious health risks. It is now a pleasure to be able to tell you that our responder has
been re-activated.
If you call 999 the person answering will establish the urgency of the situation then
dispatch an ambulance crew to you if appropriate. A Community First Responder
may also be sent by the dispatch team to give emergency care and support until the
crew arrive. It’s good to know we again have this care in our community.
Name supplied to DW
5
Introducing Winkleigh Pet Care
I would like to take this opportunity to
introduce myself and my new business,
Winkleigh Pet Care. I live in Winkleigh
with my husband and our beautiful
chocolate Labrador.
Animals have always been my passion
in life, and after having worked within
the veterinary profession for over 12
years I’m excited to now be starting my
own pet care business here in
Winkleigh.
I have over 15 years’ experience of pet
sitting, dog walking and caring for all of
my clients’ pets as if they were my own.
I am very experienced in caring for all
animals from small to large, hamsters to
horses!
I am also fully insured and DBS checked
and my services currently include dog
walking, home visits for garden breaks, companionship, feeding or medicating pets,
house sitting, and freelance yard/groom work. I have plenty of references available
on request.
I look forward to meeting more of your four legged family members soon!
If you would like more information on my services you can contact me through
Facebook - @Winkleighpetcare, email me on winkleighpetcare@hotmail.com or
phone – 07595249418.
6
Winkleigh Parish Council – Letter to the Parish
I am writing to you as your newly appointed Locum Clerk to the Parish Council, I hope
this finds you well and in good spirits. I am sure some of you will have followed
closely the events that have led me to being selected for the role, and I am very glad
to be addressing you for the first time. I am a resident of the village, who is keen to
work at restoring the trust between you the parishioner, the Council as a whole, and
the office I now hold.
I am available via the Parish Website - www.winkleighpc.org.uk, which I encourage
you to make good use of as you track the Council’s progress over the next few
months. My overall aim in this position is to improve communication between the
parish and its Councillors, as I am keen to avoid miscommunication wherever it might
crop up. It will be my pleasure to serve the community, by facilitating the proper
running of the Council; by executing my function to the best of my ability, and
supporting others in doing the same in accordance with their elected duty.
For now, I further encourage you to contact me should you have any queries about
the role of a Clerk, or anything else you think I might be able to help you with.
Benjamin M. Roth (Locum Clerk)
7
Café update - exciting news at Sam’s Cider
We are thrilled to say that we have started the
process of knocking down the old buildings to
make way for our brand-new, purpose-built
café.
There will be something for everyone, a small
soft play area for the children so the
mums/dads/caregivers can relax while their
little ones play. A quiet area for you to unwind
and upstairs will be a lounge coffee bar
overlooking the cider works.
We want to bring the Sam’s Cider experience
to you and will have an area where you can
view our 100-year-old oak cider vats from the
café, so you see the workings of Sam’s Cider.
We are hoping to be open for the end of
summer. Keep a check on our social media
pages for updates on the build. We look forward to welcoming you very soon.
Kylie Beardon
8
Winkleigh Parish Church News
Some of the oldest Christian communities
in the world can be found in the forests of
Northern Ethiopia. The Bible tells of the
encounter of an Ethiopian man with Phillip,
one of Jesus’ disciples, who on hearing all
about Jesus promptly asks to be baptised.
As far back as the 4th Century these communities built their brightly coloured
churches in the forest, using the materials of the forest. Sadly, over the last 100 years
much of Ethiopia’s forest has been lost due to intensive farming and climate change;
in fact only 3% remains. Most of that 3% surrounds one of these ancient churches
and contains a huge array of plant and animal life. In a bid to protect the forest for
future generations and to help the process of regeneration, some churches have
built a low wall around their patch of forest. These walls are not to keep people out
as the churches are still used, and people treat the forest with great respect, but to
keep the forest safe and prevent the effects of land degradation from spreading.
It has now been over two years since our lives were changed in ways we could never
have imagined, we were forced to retreat inside the walls of our homes to keep
ourselves and those we love safe. We’ve had to put up low walls to stop the virus
getting too close: face masks, hand hygiene, social distancing and shielding. Then
when we thought it was all right to emerge, everything went backwards again. For
many of us, just like those Ethiopian forests, it has felt as if our world has shrunk, in
ways we could never have imagined.
Yet there is hope. Some of those Ethiopian churches have had to rebuild their forest
walls. Not because the walls have collapsed but because the forest has started to
regenerate right up to the wall. They have had to move the protective walls outwards
as the forest recovers, grows and comes to life. The hope is that one day, more areas
of dusty barren wasteland will be covered in forests, teeming with life
For us, now the time has come to enable us to move our protective walls outwards.
To allow everything which has been laid dormant to be revitalised and to bring those
things which are life-giving back to our church and community. In some cases new
ideas will spring up and old initiatives will be laid aside.
It seems appropriate that this time of hope and looking to the future coincides with
Easter. As we celebrate the rising of Jesus from the tomb on Easter day and rejoice
in the power of hope and life over darkness and death, we know that the future lies
ahead of us. Like those flourishing church forests in Ethiopia so too can we flourish
and grow once again, as individuals and as a community.
Revd Helen Blaine (01837 83710 - revhelenblaine@outlook.com)
Priest-in-charge: Winkleigh, Ashreigney, Broadwoodkelly and Brushford.
9
Parish Church Fundraising
We are currently taking part in the ‘Recycling for Good Causes scheme’ to raise funds
for All Saints’ Church. The scheme collects unwanted Jewellery, Coins and Currency,
Mobile Phones, Cameras, Gadgets and Stamps. These then get recycled and we hope
we will raise some much-needed funds. There is a collecting box at the back of the
church for your unwanted items, as well as a list of what we are collecting and what
we are not. Please only leave the items listed.
Spring Clean
Do you have an hour or two spare to help us give the church building a good spring
clean? It is a great opportunity to explore the bits of the church you don’t normally
see and we will also provide tea and cake to fuel the cleaning. Join us on Saturday 9th
April 10:00 am -12 noon.
Lent and Easter Special Services
2nd March - 11:00 am & 7:00 pm Ash Wednesday Eucharist
27th March - 9:30 am Mothering Sunday Eucharist
14th April - 7:00 pm Maundy Thursday Eucharist
15th April - 10:00 am Liturgy of Good Friday
16th April - 8:30 pm Easter Vigil Service
17th April - 9:30 am Easter Day Eucharist
10Action on Footpath Number 22 on Townsend Hill
Dismayed and concerned at the dangerous state of the entrance to the diverted
footpath on Townsend Hill, we contacted our local Footpath Officer John Baker of
DCC with photographs of the problem and a request to make a site visit.
John reacted quickly, made a visit, and stated what remedial action had to be taken
so that the path is made accessible.
This involved requiring the contractors of the developers to put down scalpings
dressed with 20 mm of dust at the gateway that had been churned up by
construction traffic. The Chair of Winkleigh Parish Council has made site visits as
several people raised their concerns at the public session of a Parish Council meeting.
On such a highly visible gateway to the village where the most popular footpath is
accessed it has not been a great start. Grateful thanks to John Baker for his speedy,
effective intervention.
Michael Newcombe of Devon Highways has also been contacted about the safety
of pedestrians walking up and down the Hill to the footpath and Winkleigh Primary
School. This is probably the more pressing issue now: Pedestrian access to the
school and footpath. This road, already notorious as a rat-run, is now more perilous
than ever with restricted road space [due to essential signage on the road].
Pedestrians are a priority in both the recently updated Highway Code and our
Neighbourhood Plan.
Unfortunately for Winkleigh, the developers, who have had a bewildering recent
change of names: Larkfleet / Allison Homes/ Larkfleet SW [recently acquired by, the
global investment management firm PIMCO], do not belong to the Considerate
Constructors Scheme which stipulates Community site notice boards/contact details
and emergency numbers.
Phil & Penny Griffiths
11Our Devon County Councillor Writes
It has been a busy start to 2022, both at County Hall and here
in Winkleigh. January and February are the traditional
months for budget setting and I will talk about that in a
moment.
Locally I have again been dealing with mostly Highways-
related issues having been out and about reporting
numerous potholes and defects throughout the village and
the parish, in particular on some of the more rural roads around the Airfield,
Hollocombe and on the road towards Bridge Reeve. I am well aware a lot still
needs doing but I cannot emphasise enough: keep reporting the potholes!
The more potholes reported on a road, the more likely it is we can get
something permanent done. It was only through continuous pothole
reporting on Eggesford Road that I wrangled out of Highways the
serviceability patching. So, get reporting! If nothing happens, let me know.
You can report potholes online by typing in devon.cc/report-it on your
internet browser, or if you are not online you can still ring in on 0345 155
1004.
12On another local matter, I am aware of the issues that have been caused on
Townsend Hill by the construction of the new housing estate. I will continue
to monitor the situation carefully, particularly regarding road safety and the
access to and condition of the public footpath.
Although I appreciate it is a while off yet, traffic calming should be installed
on Townsend Hill as a condition of this development, and I have been assured
by the Highways Officers that the condition is that it will be installed before
any of the new houses are occupied. Inevitably there will be disruption, but
I would hope in the medium term this will improve the safety of the road and
provide further discouragement for the route to be used as a ‘rat run’.
Away from local matters, the start of the year has been a time at DCC of
setting the Budget for the next financial year. Final proposals are due for
approval at Full Council in February and while the overall picture is an
increase in the Budget – with the revenue budget increasing from £580
million last year to £629 million this year – it has been one of the most
financially challenging Budgets the Authority has had to set for many, many
years.
We are projected to see an unprecedented demand on our Adult and
Children’s Services as we come out of the pandemic. 76% of DCC’s revenue
budget is now spent on these two services, yet according to our Chief
Executive that funding ultimately goes to around just 3% of Devon’s
population.
Of course, we will continue to protect and look after those in need – the
elderly, the young, and the vulnerable. Nevertheless, to set a balanced
budget this year, DCC will be taking nearly £30 million out of its reserves. You
can only use reserves once, and it is safe to say that repeating this exercise
over the next four years would soon see our reserves depleted.
Funding for Adult Social Care and Children’s Services are increasing by £29.6
million and £17.1 million respectively, and part of these increases will be
used to improve funding to community and voluntary groups who can help
support DCC and in turn allow the services to deliver more targeted and
specialised support, something which again is needed as more and more
people in our care are likely to have more complex needs than even a decade
ago. We also need to pilot different ways of working so that we can deliver
these services more effectively.
13My mailbox is typically dominated by Highways issues, but it is because we
have to provide these services for the old, the young and the vulnerable, that
the funding for Highways is so tight.
Nonetheless, I remain an optimist and while this has been a tight budget to
set, I am hopeful that future years will be easier. As you may have seen on
the local news, the Government recently announced that Devon had been
shortlisted alongside nine other County areas for a Devolution Deal. From
the feedback we’ve had so far, Ministers and Civil Servants have been
impressed with how in Devon we have adopted the ‘Team Devon’ approach.
County, Unitaries, Districts, Town and Parishes have all worked together to
get us through the pandemic. We want this approach to continue and while
the details of a devolution deal will need to be negotiated with the
Government, if we are successful, I would hope that it will entail additional
funding and investment coming into Devon and Torrington Rural.
But until then if there are any DCC issues you’d like to contact me about you
can contact me on Facebook on facebook.com/cllrsaywell, ring 07886
446560 or email andrew.saywell@devon.gov.uk.
14Questions from the Neighbourhood Plan Group to
Torridge District Council
Below is a summary of the questions we sent in January to the Senior Planning
Policy Officer, Dawn Burgess, at Torridge District Council, about Larkfleet seeking to
extend their planning permission.
In pre-application talks we request:
1. The Neighbourhood Plan be referenced in its entirety; many policies
in each section are relevant to all development proposals.
e.g. [ENV7] electric vehicle charging facilities.
2. Sustainability lies at the heart of the NP [HCLW 3&4].These refer
specifically to how any development proposals west of the village
should be dealt with so that the targeted nature of these policies
don’t get lost under the general sustainability umbrella.
Sustainability of future proposals needs to be properly tested and
the impacts understood and mitigated.
3. Developers are expected to demonstrate positive environmental
outcomes. [ENV 1].
4. Partnership working and delivery of the NP Any development
should have a clear community engagement strategy. [D 14].
5. Discussion between parties should begin before any planning
application is submitted.
TDC Senior Planning Officer Dawn Burgess responded:
“With regard to the determination of planning applications, it is
clear that ‘made’ [adopted] Neighbourhood Plans form part of the
development plan for the subject area and will be given due regard
in decision making. My colleagues in development management
are aware of the status of The Winkleigh Neighbourhood Plan and
how it should be taken into account in determination of planning
applications”.
Pauline Warner, Adrian Mercer, Angela Findlay, Penny Griffiths
15Winkleigh Singers to Celebrate HM Queen’s Platinum
Jubilee with Spring Concert
Well-known choral group, the Winkleigh Singers will be
performing a Spring Concert on 23rd April at St Michael’s
Church, Great Torrington.
The concert, which starts at 7.30pm, will include Parry’s
famous I was glad and will include Vivats to mark Queen
Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee, as well as Mozart’s Trinitatis
Mass.
Internationally renowned organist, Peter King, organist
emeritus of Bath Abbey, will be performing with the choir.
Ticket will be available from early March from
www.winkleighsingers.org.uk
New members are always welcome; the choir held a very successful ‘Come and Sing’
event in January, which was very well attended and great fun. If you are interested
in joining the choral group, please visit: www.winkleighsingers.org.uk/membership
or call Roland Smith on 01363 884446.
16Blessing of Memorial Stones
Below is the letter of regret that I wish to send to the next of kin and other loved
ones of the deceased whose memorials were laid down in September. I think the
letter speaks for itself.
“Dear …….
“I am the former Chairperson of Winkleigh Parish Council, and I am writing as an
individual not as a current Councillor and former Chair, to apologize for the laying
down of the memorial stones in Winkleigh Cemetery in September. I condemn this
act as being disrespectful in both process and outcome and I very much regret the
pain and distress this action has caused to the next of kin and others loved by the
deceased.
“In recognition of this regret, I have asked the Reverend Helen Blaine, Vicar of All
Saints’ Church, to lead a Blessing of the Stones in order to begin a much-needed
healing process. This will take place 2nd April 2022 at the cemetery at 10:30 am.
“The Blessing will be followed by a hot drink and refreshments in the Sports Centre
if you wish. The Reverend Helen Blaine will lead the ceremony and she is happy to
invite ministers from other denominations if requested. Please let me know if this is
your wish. I would also appreciate it if you would let me know if you plan to attend.
“Finally, I am very aware that this hurt is not likely to be confined to only the next of
kin. Please pass this letter on or invite other loved ones as you wish. Please let me
know so I have an approximate idea of how many to cater for.
“I am sorry this ceremony will be held sometime after the event, but I wanted as
many of the laid down stones to have been returned to their proper resting places
as is possible, before beginning the healing process.
“Once again please accept my sincere apologies for the emotional harm and pain this
action has caused.
Yours Sincerely,
Angela Findlay”
WPC are unable to release the names of the next of kin to me under Data Protection
Regulations. I am therefore appealing to you, if you are next of kin or know someone
who may wish to attend, please pass on my details, so I can send them an invitation.
I believe that the planned blessing is important in order to help people who are angry
and grieving to gain closure and put this event behind them, so it is important that
as many who may wish to attend are aware that it is taking place.
Thank you for your help in this matter.
Angela Findlay, Cobblestones, 6, Barnstaple St., Winkleigh, EX19 8HT
01837 682616 or angela.findlay@btinternet.com
1718
Linda Passmore 15/01/1948 - 18/12/2021
Linda was born in Ilfracombe to Frederick & Violet
Bewes. She had three brothers. The family moved to
Morchard Road as Linda's father was a signalman for
the railway. She attended Bow Primary School then
Copplestone Primary School due to her father’s job.
She then attended North Tawton Secondary School
until the new Shelly School opened in Crediton. After
leaving school Linda worked at Thomas Moore in
Exeter for many years.
She met Malcolm, they married and moved to
Winkleigh where they started a family. They had two
daughters Tracey & Kim.
Linda worked at Hunt’s Bakery (now the Bakery Stores) for many years and made
lifelong friends. She also had other part time jobs to fit around looking after her
family. She enjoyed village life bringing up her children and taking part in various
events throughout the years. Winkleigh Fair was always a highlight of the year.
Auntie Joyce (Brock) would dress us up every year for the fancy dress and on many
occasions we would come away with the cup.
Linda lived in Winkleigh for 53 years. She had wonderful family with friends and
neighbours around her. Due to ill health she sadly had to move away which was a
very difficult decision for her. However she did look forward to receiving Distinctly
Winkleigh to keep up to date with happenings in the village.
Linda had five Grandchildren, Ellie, Kristofer, Charlotte, Caitlin and Kaylee. She loved
them dearly, was very proud of them all and would take great interest in everything
they did in their lives.
She was the most loving and caring Mum and Nan and she will be sadly missed by us
all.
Tracey and Kim
19Catkin Blooms has moved!
First of all a big thank you to Valerie Bissett for letting us rent and refurbish Bissett’s
Garage on Exeter Road as our new home.
The dark & cold days of January involved lots of noise and mess-making to create
such a fabulous industrial-feel creative space. Thank you to everyone who has helped
so much to get us up and running.
The big workshop space allows us to add a coffee shop to our new and existing range
of locally-made gifts and cards, indoor and outdoor plants and beautiful Seasonal
British Flowers. We will also be putting on seasonal workshops and 'meet the maker'
sessions throughout the year around our big table.
We now have over 100 members in our Seasonal Friday Flower Club including
weekly, fortnightly & monthly members. The spring season is busy for us with
Mother’s Day, Easter and Weddings all ahead and we welcome brighter and warmer
days as working long hours in a garage workshop can be very chilly in winter!
Our coffee shop will be open for proper coffee roasted in Okehampton, lovely teas
and local Apple Juice, along with fabulous bakes from Peck & Strong in Crediton.
Our opening hours are: Tuesdays to Fridays 10 am ‘til 6 pm (coffee shop closes @5
pm) and Saturdays 10 am ‘til 1 pm.
Please contact us at enquiries@catkinblooms.co.uk phone 07870 166985 or better
still pop in and smell the coffee!
We look forward to seeing you.
Cath Kenny
20European Landscape Award - 2021
One of the elements in the European Landscape Convention is the biennial European
Landscape Award. The UK remains a signatory of the Convention as part of the
Council of Europe. For this year I was invited to be a member of the jury, held, of
course, on-line in April. We have made a selection for the Award, now confirmed by
the Council and that is to give the award to the Astino valley project in Bergamo,
Italy. There were 12 candidates which managed to get to the jury’s table for a
decision; all of them completed landscape projects.
Astino, Italy
There are four criteria by which we make a judgement: Sustainability, Exemplary
value, Public participation and Awareness-raising. This year there was no UK entry,
although we have won in the past with the landscaping of the Durham coastal
coalfield. Summaries of the projects can be found by going to
https://www.coe.int/en/web/landscape/7th-award-candidates and some of the
videos are well worth watching; I like the difference between the bored teenagers in
a Polish forest school with its armed wardens, and the excited children at the Slovak
bee village.
Attitudes to landscape have moved on from the foundation of the Convention in
1992, and although our criteria remain valid, there are certainly shifts in emphasis,
and I pick out a few from the bunch. The Burgas project (Bulgaria) combines the
ornithological importance of salt pans with a suburban park under an airport; a
21reminder that good landscape has many uses. In northern Finland they are re-
educating farmers to use the coastal grazing marshes, as they once did, but funding
still remains dependent on grants and tourism. Latvia’s project was an educational
one, inviting people to ‘listen to’ a local rock, a farmstead, a meadow and an oak.
This reminds us that the quality of a landscape is as much in our heads as on the
ground. Therefore, landscape and environment overlap but are not the same thing.
In both Norway and Switzerland a village has carefully conserved its local heritage
(including sheep) to improve people’s lives, although very often these are
communities of the wealthy. Sometimes we need to ask whether the local wealth is
earned in the parish or if the place is simply a nice place to work at home or retire.
In Silesia the open limestone landscape has been defended from forest invasion, and
from climbers….with hunting being used as a management tool. The Portuguese
candidate is a very remote huge estate on the Spanish border, brought back from
degradation. Timişoara (Romania) has converted a former civic nursery into a small
park which in the pandemic has been of enormous value for the poor of the local
area. In Slovak Carpathia a couple of energetic beekeepers have turned over the
whole local population of a valley into a bee landscape, and apiary projects and
courses.
At Brda, on the Slovene / Italy
border a small town has
restored all its walls and
terraces to provide a
spectacular rural tourism
venue, and lastly the Turkish
city of Antalya has stopped a
huge dead cotton mill from
becoming a shopping mall and
instead made it into a Culture
Nature Park.
Beeland, Slovakia Many exciting entrepreneurial
ideas.
22However, what should villages like Winkleigh be doing? Why shouldn’t we become
the next British entry?
We were a united jury that the winner was the Astino valley at Bergamo in northern
Italy. This is a valley just outside the city (a bit like the Valley Parks of Exeter) with an
ancient ruined abbey, and the abbey lands now more or less derelict. They have
restored the abbey and the lands are now smallholdings and allotments, opened an
extension to the Bergamo Botanic Gardens, with footpaths and cycle ways (soft
transport), much education activity including art, nature, and all the providers have
to sign an ethics charter…….in general following organic principles. It is not ‘neat and
tidy’, but it is literally buzzing.
There are lessons here for future landscape making. In some cases the emphases
have shifted since the Convention was signed in 1990. The sustainability question
now focuses even more strongly on carbon emissions, including energy sources and
soft transport, so tourist developments score lower than facilities for local people.
Especially after the Pandemic, safe access for all is central and a powerful emphasis
on public health is expected. All landholders need to agree an ethical stance. Several
projects were clearly primarily focussed on biodiversity, but this must include
people, and especially those people with a long-term stake in the landscape.
The award will be given in February in Bergamo, and the jury is invited; so I have to
investigate my conscience about travelling. I guess the answer is ‘go by train.’
Peter Howard
2324
Winkleigh Fair 2022
Fair week will commence officially with the traditional Opening Ceremony on Sunday
10th July and finish on 16th July.
There will be a series of community events during the week, including the Vintage
Car Show on Wednesday 13th July.
Fair Saturday 16th July will include a Flower & Produce show, a Pram Race, a Family
Disco and live music in the square.
More information will follow; other events are also planned but as yet still to be
confirmed.
Posters, social media information and flyers will be distributed in all the usual outlets
as soon as the programme is finalised.
We look forward to a fabulous week.
Sarah Goody - Chair Winkleigh Fair
2526
Village History - Shute Lane as I see it
Before I begin, I just want to let you know that I did not go to university, therefore I
have no degree or archaeological qualification other than several years of digging to
find the original Eggesford House and write the Lost Houses of Eggesford book. This
article is entirely my own opinion from much research and common sense.
When I first noticed Shute Lane decades ago, it was overgrown and led, who knows
where. I spoke to the late Terry Davey, the fount of all knowledge and someone I
was most proud to call my friend. He told me it was a postman path to Southcott,
but had not been used regularly for many, many years. In 1997 when the bypass
came it cut right through the lane and the top half became impassable. In recent
years it has been cleared a little and the surface improved, so it is now walkable,
albeit wet in places, as far as the bypass and a short way on the opposite side.
I found it interesting because it has a name.
There are several other lanes in the vicinity
connected to Shute Lane that are also
named. We have Vellow Moor Lane and
Beare Copse Lane which are interlinked.
Shute Lane leads from the oldest house,
Southcott, which is south of Winkleigh and
now the Equestrian Centre. It is mentioned
in the Domesday Book with a chapel,
making it almost a thousand years old.
Sadly this mansion was burned down in the
19th century. From Southcott walking across
Vellow Moor Lane and Great Vellow Moor,
over the Bullow Brook you reach Shute
Lane, which leads up the hill to the junction
with Exeter Road, and would have been a
major crossroad in Winkleigh. Therefore
this route would have been an access road
into Winkleigh for nearly 1000 years.
If you look at old maps of the area you will
find that Southcott links across to Coulson
and many other farms as far as North
Tawton and I am sure for miles beyond. You
then proceed up what we know as Church
Hill and up the steps at the side of the Alms
Houses, then crossing the front of what was a much smaller Winkleigh Church. Until
the current church was extended in the 14th century there would have just been the
chancel with a main entrance in the west end. Shute Lane would have passed by this
27door and on into the narrow lane at the side of the Mad Butchers, now called Church
Lane. Shute Lane ended here as the square would always have been the centre of
the village. If you bear right across the square, in front of what is now the Seven
Stars, ahead of you would have been the very impressive Court Castle, built after the
Normans settled the land. Winkleigh is extremely lucky to have this thoroughfare
that still exists and is nearly 1000 years old ending in a castle. You don’t need to have
too much imagination!
Going back to the construction of the lane itself: it has a shale base which would have
been for wagons and livestock with a
raised path to one side for pedestrians.
The main path is constantly wet even in
the heat of summer and obviously in
the winter, as there are a couple of
natural springs in the lane. These
springs can be seen marked on the old
maps.
At first I couldn't work out why such a
structured lane would be needed just
for a farm but of course 1000 years ago it was a very important house and a very
important roadway. The chapel was at Southcott before there was a church in the
village so, like Eggesford House, the private chapel would have been used by the
villagers, a lot of whom would have worked for the landowner; therefore the path
had to be maintained for them, as well as for other traffic travelling between the
North Tawton area to Winkleigh and beyond.
Obviously there would have been lots of cottages and a thriving self-sufficient and
peaceful village. I don’t think either Court Castle or Croft Castle would have seen
much action except for a minor fracas during the Civil War in 1646. I understand that
the Cavaliers were camped at Southcott and the Roundheads at Chulmleigh. They
were all on their way to engage in battle at Great Torrington and not prepared to
meet beforehand, so both armies approached Torrington from different directions.
The Cavaliers were heading from Winkleigh via Beaford across the moor and the
Roundheads came from Chulmleigh across the back of Riddlecombe although a
minor skirmish on Beaford Moor was recorded. I have read a lot about these events
and mostly it is reported that the Cavaliers left Southcott and were fired upon by a
few locals from Croft Castle, where the Village Hall now stands, so maybe all
Winkleigh folk were not Royalists.
This is where I disagree as the main entrance to Southcott was Shute Lane, as the
lane now used to get to Southcott Equestrian Centre didn't exist until much later. In
addition, the road to North Tawton as it is now was only a footpath at this time.
28Therefore they would have been fired on
not from Croft Castle but from Court Castle.
The Cavaliers marched over Vellow Moor
onto Shute Lane up the hill towards the
church in early February 1646. They
probably passed through the churchyard as
the church had been extended in the early
14th century. Probably they marched along
Court Walk past the Parsonage and around
the castle, which by then was ‘ruinous,’
where they were fired upon by locals.
Can you imagine in February the Cavaliers
marching through the village? No post,
radio, or internet to alert the locals. It must have been really scary as there would
have been hundreds or maybe thousands of soldiers: quite a spectacle.
If you look on the map and draw a line from Southcott to Court Castle it is almost
directly along Shute Lane; there at the beginnings of Winkleigh and what remains of
it must be preserved for many years to come.
Sharon Jeens
The cover picture was created by Gabriel Lawley-Jones & looks up to Court Castle.
29Events Diary – 2022
All dates & details are PROVISIONAL at the time of going to press and depend on
any restrictions put in place at short notice.
Please send details of your events to articles@distinctlywinkleigh.co.uk
March
nd
2 11 am and 7 pm Ash Wednesday Eucharist - Parish Church
2nd from 2 – 4 pm Memory Cafe – Community Centre
14th starting at 7 pm Winkleigh Society AGM – Community Centre
16th from 2 – 4 pm Memory Cafe (+ surgery (am)) – Community Centre
20th from 11 am Britannia Open Day, behind Airfield Garage
27th at 9.30 am Mothering Sunday Eucharist - Parish Church
April
nd
2 at 10.30 am Blessing of the Memorial Stones, Winkleigh Cemetery
th
6 from 2 – 4 pm Memory Cafe – Community Centre
8th starting at 7.30 pm Winkleigh Football Club Quiz Night, Village Hall
Questions - Willie Hocking & Quiz-Master Tony Aston
th
9 10 am – 12 noon Spring Clean – Parish Church
th
10 afternoon Britannia Day: Launch Anniversary, Airfield Garage
14th at 7 pm Maundy Thursday Eucharist - Parish Church
15th at 10 am Liturgy of Good Friday – Parish Church
16th Easter Day Eucharist – Parish Church
th
20 from 2 – 4 pm Memory Cafe (+ surgery (am)) – Community Centre
23rd starts at 07.30 pm Winkleigh Singers Queen’s Jubilee Concert,
St. Michael’s Church, Great Torrington
May
th
4 from 2 – 4 pm Memory Cafe – Community Centre
th
9 Last day to display Scarecrows for viewing
15th JScarecrow Trail maps available in Post Office and
Hollocombe Hub
18th from 2 – 4 pm Memory Cafe (+ surgery (am)) – Community Centre
30Winkleigh Platinum Jubilee Group
This Group has been newly formed for the sole purpose of organising events for
Winkleigh Parish to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee of HM The Queen.
The group currently comprises members of Winkleigh Parish Council, Winkleigh
Society, Winkleigh Fair Committee, Winkleigh Village Hall Committee, Winkleigh
Craft Club, Friends of Winkleigh School and a small number of dedicated and
enthusiastic individual members of the Parish all working together. In addition, there
are several Businesses that are pledging help and support and also celebrating with
their own events as well.
We are proposing a programme for Winkleigh that takes account of the National
Events that are also taking place across the country. To give everyone notice of what
we are hoping to do we are publishing outline details of our plans in this edition of
Distinctly Winkleigh. You will appreciate that at this early stage full details of many
of the events mentioned have not been fully worked out, but will be made available
as soon as possible.
So far our outline programme is as follows:-
Bank Holiday Thursday 2nd June (there is no end of May Monday Bank Holiday)
Nationally: The Queen’s Birthday Parade (Trooping the Colour)
Starting at Buckingham Palace, the Parade will move down The Mall to Horse
Guard's Parade, joined by Members of the Royal Family on horseback and in
carriages. The Parade will close with the traditional RAF fly -past, watched by
The Queen and Members of the Royal Family from the Palace balcony.
Platinum Jubilee Beacons: The United Kingdom’s long tradition of celebrating
Royal Jubilees, Weddings and Coronations with the lighting of beacons will be
continued to mark the Platinum Jubilee. Over 1,500 beacons will be lit
throughout the United Kingdom, Channel Islands, Isle of Man and UK Overseas
Territories. For the first time, beacons will also be lit in each of the capital cities
of the Commonwealth countries to celebrate The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
The Principal beacon will be lit in a special ceremony at Buckingham Palace.
Winkleigh: Nothing is planned at the moment but please keep an eye out for
notices of any events.
Bank Holiday Friday 3rd June
Nationally: Service of Thanksgiving: A Service of Thanksgiving for The Queen’s
reign will be held at St Paul’s Cathedral.
Winkleigh: Daytime Events may be arranged - details to follow.
31Evening: Potential Music Event in the Square. At time of going to press we are
hoping to be in a position to organise the much loved and previously enjoyed “Take
a Chance on Us” ABBA Tribute UK Band to provide a special Jubilee inter-
generational Show in the Village Square. The cost is not within our budget but
already sponsors from businesses and the public are giving generously to help us to
try to secure this particular band for the whole village to watch and enjoy for free.
There is a box in the Mad Butchers with envelopes for people to donate / pledge
support for this event. Thank you so much to those who have already done so.
Saturday 4th June
Nationally: The Derby at Epsom: Her Majesty The Queen, accompanied by
Members of the Royal Family, will attend the Derby at Epsom Downs.
Platinum Party at the Palace: The BBC will stage and broadcast a special live
concert from Buckingham Palace that will bring together some of the world’s
biggest entertainment stars to celebrate the most significant and joyous
moments from The Queen’s seven decade reign.
Winkleigh:
Create a Crown for the Jubilee:
Winkleigh Craft Club will hold a Crown Craft workshop at the Community
Centre - all ages welcome, but please note children must be accompanied and
supervised by a parent or carer), between 10 -12 noon: to coincide with the
Winkleigh Village Hall JUBILEE Saturday Market. We are hoping that everyone
will make crowns/headwear to wear at the Street Party the following day;
there will be a competition - details to follow.
Community Centre from 2 pm: Tea Party for Adults (over 18’s) with Trevor the Piano
Man. More details to follow.
Sunday 5th June
Nationally: The Big Jubilee Lunch (Street Party)
Winkleigh:
We will be holding our own Big Jubilee Lunch ‘Bring and Share’ Street Party in the
Square from 2 pm to 5 pm. Further Details to follow.
Nationally: The Platinum Jubilee Pageant: Artistic performers, dancers,
musicians, military personnel, key workers and volunteers will unite to tell the
story of The Queen’s 70 year reign in an awe-inspiring festival of creativity. The
London based Pageant will combine pomp and ceremony, street arts, theatre,
music, circus, costumes as well as cutting-edge visual technology, drawing on
talent from every part of the United Kingdom and across the Commonwealth.
32Further Platinum Jubilee events taking place for Winkleigh :
We will also be holding our own Winkleigh Platinum Jubilee Pudding Competition.
Entry will be open to all ages. Contact details are to follow.
Saturday 11th June: Airfield Garage 12 noon ‘til 4 pm Car Show, BBQ and
Refreshments
Winkleigh School is “working together with the Parish Council to celebrate this
special event in many different ways. One of these is a Jubilee Flag Competition to
invite children to design a flag to celebrate the event, the winning design will be
made into a real flag and hoisted on the flag pole in the village.”
The Winkleigh Society is organising a Scarecrow Trail Competition with a ‘1952-2022
pick your decade’ theme to ‘dress your scarecrow as hippie/mod/rocker/punk etc.’
Further details to follow (but expected to be similar to previous Scarecrow Trails).
The Queen's Green Canopy
As the Platinum Jubilee year begins, over 60,000 trees have already been
planted in the UK through the project in the two months since the planting
season began. Green-fingered communities and cities from Cornwall to
Glasgow have come together to make 2022 a truly special year to “plant a tree
for the Jubilee” as a celebration of The Queen’s 70 years of service to the
Nation and the Commonwealth
Winkleigh Jubilee Landmark Tree - for the Queen’s Green Canopy
The Winkleigh Biodiversity Group in conjunction with The Winkleigh Memorial
Recreation Field Trustees will be planting a Small Leaved Lime tree in or near the
Jubilee Wood on the Winkleigh Memorial Recreation Field.
The initial planting will take place sometime in March 2022; ceremony dates and
times to be publicised shortly.
We are looking for individuals or volunteer groups to form a Table Topper and
Bunting Group (The Colour theme for the Platinum Jubilee is Purple). Please contact
a representative of one of the Winkleigh Groups mentioned above if you are willing
to run or help with such a group between now and June!
There is also a call out for volunteers to be Marshals for Road Closure Compliance:
the more who volunteer, the shorter each stint will be for everyone!
Road Closures will be on Friday 3rd June afternoon and evening; and on Sunday 5th
June. Exact closure details will be posted nearer the time. (Contact Aly Leah on 07512
766482)
33Janet Lillian Magor 1942-2021
Janet’s parents were from Lowestoft in Suffolk, a
town heavily bombed during World War 2. Janet’s
mother was evacuated to Merthyr Tydfil to stay with
relatives and Janet was born there. Her mother
returned to Suffolk, when it was safe to rejoin her
mechanic husband, where her brother Roger was
born.
An enthusiastic member of The Salvation Army from
the age of 8, Janet loved the open-air beach
meetings where she played the tambourine.
Janet took on a lot of family responsibilities from an early age which severely reduced
the time she spent at school.
Aged 16, she became a trainee at a drapers store in Lowestoft but two years later,
frustrated at the lack of training and responsibility, Janet took time off work to be
interviewed at Bourne and Hollingsworth, a fashionable store in Oxford Street
London. Luckily Janet got the job, which she loved, where she was properly trained
and promoted.
Janet met Adrian, her future husband, at a London Cornish Association pasty supper.
‘A dark girl dressed in blue’ is how Adrian described his first sight of her and he
escorted her home still in his metropolitan police uniform.
Married in 1964, they set up home in Walthamstow. Before her three children Sarah,
Paul and Karen were born, Janet worked at the Ever Ready Battery Factory, where
she was treated with suspicion, on account of being married to a policeman.
Moving to North London and then Shaftesbury, with all three children at University,
Janet returned to the workforce as a trainee for Waitrose where she became a
cheese expert.
Moving to Winkleigh in 1988 Janet joined The Church Wives where she became a
pro-active member and diligent secretary organising an impressive range of events
and speakers and punctilious with her write-ups for Distinctly Winkleigh.
Janet loved climbing, photography and travelling, as well as organising grandchildren
and her family.
In tribute to her, Adrian said, “I prayed to meet a like-minded wife and from
beginning to end we fitted”.
Finally a Big Thank You from the Magor Family for all your support.
Adrian Magor (in conversation with Margaret Miller & Penny Griffiths)
34Church Wives Group News
Now that Covid Restrictions have been eased we have resumed our monthly
meetings on the second Monday of each month at 2.30 pm in the Small Room of the
Village Hall. The Group welcomes all ladies as it has always done over the 60 years
of its existence. We endeavour to have interesting speakers at our meetings and we
hope to resume our annual Christmas fund-raiser for local charities.
We all mourn the passing of our Secretary Janet Magor. She took on the job in 2010
from Monica Cowle, who had been our Secretary for 50 years! Janet was an excellent
secretary and we shall miss her presence at our meetings.
Come along ladies on the 2nd Monday of each month and see what we are about!
Jean Fletcher
The Woodland Federation
Winkleigh Primary and Kings Nympton Primary Schools
The Governors are looking for a new Governor to serve on our Federation Board of
Governors. Our Executive Head - Vicki Fenemore - runs two good schools which are
well-supported by our local parents and children. The schools work hard to achieve
good results for all our children and we have a very enthusiastic staff team which
encourages children both in school with academic work and outside with PE and
sports.
If you are interested in becoming a governor, it would mean 3 or 4 meetings each
term. We would like to receive any applications from financially competent local
people, either parents or members of the public. Please apply by letter to the school,
addressed to Robin Harper, the Woodland Federation Chair of Governors, Winkleigh
School, Farmer Franks Lane, Winkleigh.
35Britannia Sailing Trust Update
Did you know that each year, the first Thursday of February is World Optimist Day?
We are definitely feeling optimistic here at Britannia Sailing Trust: 2022 is already
shaping up to be better than the last two years, with lots of progress on many fronts.
Britannia has started the New Year looking almost like new, with all the new planking
finally finished and fixed in place. The two boat-builders are slaving away with a
complicated rebuild of the deck and coach-roof - the last remaining ‘big’
woodworking job on the exterior. Meanwhile, our growing crew of volunteers are
busy caulking the seams between the planks with oakum, to keep her watertight
when she’s eventually relaunched.
We’ve welcomed quite a few new faces
over the last few months and have just
taken on a new apprentice - 18 year old Seb
- who has been inspired to become a
wooden boat-builder! The government’s
Kickstart Scheme - supposed to fund
training and employment opportunities for
18-25 year olds - has failed us miserably, so
we’re having to take matters into our own
hands and employ him out of our own
pockets until we can get funding to support
his training.
Any donations to help us keep Seb on board
would go a long way and would be greatly
valued, since our lottery funding does not
cover such things. If you think you can
Seb with Sam
spare a small one-off or monthly donation,
send an email to Vicki at britannia1915@gmail.com or you can make a PayPal
payment to that email address indicating that it’s for Seb’s apprenticeship. We will
keep any donations aside for him. By helping Seb to realise his dream of becoming a
traditional wooden boat-builder, we can ensure there are still people to build and
care for ships like Britannia for many generations to come - one of the Trusts core
missions.
Volunteers have been making some lovely items from offcuts and bits and pieces -
‘Britannia’ doorstops, cleats and coat-racks can all be found for sale in our online
shop at www.BritanniaSailingTrust.org, with more to come soon. All funds raised go
directly to the restoration. We’ll be taking a stall at the Saturday Winkleigh Market
every month, starting in February, so do feel free to drop by for a chat and to see
what we have on display.
36We will be having an open day on Sunday, 20th March as part of National Lottery
Open Week. Do come along to the boat tent at Airfield Garage, any time after
11 am, to have a tour of the ship and the workshop, enjoy a ‘brew with the crew’ and
see some displays and demonstrations of centuries old shipwrights’ skills and
techniques (even have a go at some of them!).
And while you’ve got your diary out, we’re also pleased to announce that Sunday,
10th April is Britannia Day, 2022: an afternoon of festivities and entertainment to
commemorate the ship’s original launch date in 1915. We hope to see many of you
there for rum and shanties, a knot workshop, activities, demos, and more!
Photocopy of the report in the Kings Lynn Advertiser of 1915 of Britannia’s launch!
If you would like any further information please phone Vicki or Sam on 01837
680036, or call by the Britannia shed, just behind Airfield Garage and the Winkleigh
Car Wash. Workdays at the moment are Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, but we
can always be there at other times if you let us know you intend to visit. Visitors are
always welcome!
37Kinangop Cattery on Winkleigh Airfield
Kinangop Cattery is a new 4-star licenced cattery on Winkleigh Airfield. It is a small
cattery with very high standards and individual attention for each cat. It caters for
individual cats or two cats sharing. All sleeping quarters are more spacious than
legislated requirements, comfortable and heated. The indoor exercise areas have
barriers and viewing platforms with perfect views over the countryside.
Pauline Metcalfe, who owns and runs the cattery, has
worked with animals all her life, so she can offer
personal and experienced attention. If necessary she
can administer medication to any cat in her care.
Pauline prefers owners to bring their own food as their
cat is used to it as well as toys to minimise any stress
of being separated from their owners. She also has
long opening hours for delivery and collection of the
cats on either weekdays or over weekends.
Pauline can be contacted on 07748 608308,
kinangopcattery@gmail.com, or see
www.kinangopcattery.co.uk
38Still no Bacon Roll Time
Sorry but there will not be Bacon Roll Time again this year.
As most of you know we have invited you all into our home once a year for 16 years
serving bacon rolls, tea, coffee and lots of chat. What wonderful times we have had
and to date this event has raised £9675 for Cancer Research UK. This charity is so
close to our hearts as it is to many of you and we were so looking forward to breaking
the £10000 in 2020 but Covid had other ideas and the same again last year.
Still we do not feel the time is right just yet to hold such an event this year but rest
assured it will be back and we will reach that target. We can’t thank you enough for
all your support in the past, so watch this space. We will be back.
Jan and Dave Ovenden
39Okehampton Choral Society
You are warmly invited to join the Okehampton Choral Society and friends as they
celebrate:
‘LEAVING LOCKDOWN’
In an hour of live music made by local musicians starting at 3.15 pm on Saturday 2nd
April, 2022 at Fairplace Church in Okehampton, the informal programme will appeal
to people of all ages. Families will be most welcome.
We shall enjoy guest performances from our friends Ruth Penrose (clarinet), Robbie
Cassels (Piano), John Courtie (trumpet) and ‘The Sampford Stompers’.
ADMISSION is FREE - there will be a retiring collection.
4041
Exciting Changes at Down Farm
Down Farm is an organic market garden just outside Winkleigh. We grow a range of
produce and sell it within a 30 mile radius of the farm: at Crediton and Exeter
Farmers Markets, our veg box scheme, online shop and via local shops and
restaurants in the summer months.
This year sees some exciting changes happening at the farm, including transforming
the business into a cooperative growing project and increasing the capacity of our
veg box scheme. This summer we will also be opening our new community barn and
starting a flower CSA (Community
Supported Agriculture) scheme,
where customers are invited to have
a seasonal share of the flower
harvest every week.
As a new growing cooperative we are
pleased to welcome friends and
fellow market gardeners Chloe
Eversfield and Josh Motteram to the
Down Farm team. They have
Chloe & Josh
previously run a market garden in
Buckfastleigh and were looking to move, whilst we were also looking for more secure
42help with the growing for our business. It
seemed an obvious solution for us to go
into business together! We will be
working together; continuing to grow a
range of delicious and organic veg. They
are bringing with them another poly-
tunnel for our ever increasing supply of
summer and winter crops, years of
experience and a lot of enthusiasm!
Our community barn is almost ready to be
opened; just a few finishing touches are
left. It will be equipped with tables, a
kitchen and a wood fired oven overlooking
our market garden. We will be having a
launch party in the summer (date tbc) as
well as a few food-based events over the
year. The barn is there to be used for the
community so please get in touch if you
have something in mind: workshop, meetings, social groups or more!
We have opened up a few more spaces on our veg box scheme due to increased
demand. We supply weekly and fortnightly veg boxes with a range of seasonal
produce from our farm and other local suppliers to plug any gaps. Veg boxes start
from £12 and are available from February to December. We pick veg fresh every
week and deliver to homes or collection points every Friday.
Want to sign up for a veg box or flower CSA? Learn more about the community barn?
Get in touch with Liv or Chloe on 07739 892488 or 07595 005482 or email us at
hello@down-farm.com.
More information on our veg boxes can also be found on our website www.down-
farm.com
We look forward to seeing you at the farm in 2022!
4344
45
Winkleigh YFC News
YFC in the last few months have been quiet for us in
Winkleigh.
Following our tractor run in the last article, we
uncovered our carnival float and decorated it with the
theme of Post Lockdown after Party. We attended
Okehampton, Hatherleigh and Holsworthy carnivals. We
have had club 10-pin bowling and skittles socials and our
Christmas meal during the winter months.
Unfortunately, the Devon YFC Christmas ball was cancelled which was a shame as
lots of members were excited to dress up smartly. To add to that, we had to cancel
our disco in January which was going to be our second main fundraiser for the YFC
year, however we hope to reschedule it for Easter.
Luke Stevens, our current Secretary, has been busy competing in speaking
competitions (After dinner speaking and Brainstrust) with great success. At the end
of January we had some of our members join the Tarka Group team for men’s
dodgeball in the Devon round, they had great fun and loved a bit of competition
with fellow clubs.
At the time of writing this we have our
‘blind drop’ coming up which will be
our first event of the 2022 year with
more events hopefully to follow.
We all hope 2022 will be a better year
for all than the last couple of years.
If you would like any further
information regarding the Senior club,
please contact me, James Pearce on
07541318077; for information
regarding the Mini Club, please contact
Danielle Bradford on 07544 940197.
Alternatively, please take a look at our
Facebook pages for updates:
‘Winkleigh YFC’ or ‘Winkleigh Mini
YFC’.
James Pearce
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